TRANSFUSION-ASSOCIATED GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE IN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT - EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY

We report a case of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease i n a previously healthy, 68-year-old Japanese man following an emergenc y surgery for an acute aortic dissection. We confirmed the chimerism o f lymphocytes and the effect of drug therapy using DNA polymorphism an alysis, This method is a sensitive, convenient, and rapid method that it is also useful for the evaluation of therapy. And the combination t herapy with methylprednisolone, cyclosporine, and Ig-deoxyspergualin m ay he effective in treating transfusion-associated GVHD. (C) 1998 Wile y-L[ss, Inc.